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Police said Dougherty met with Clay to exchange narcotics at around 2 a.m. Monday morning. The early morning drug deal outside a South Burlington apartment complex turned violent.

"There was a scuffle and ultimately gunfire," said Trevor Whipple, chief of the South Burlington police.

It ended in a murder.

Multiple 9-1-1 calls about the gunshots led police to the City's Edge apartments on Farrell Street in South Burlington.

They found Clay shot, but conscious in the parking lot. He later died on the way to the hospital -- turning this initial "shooting incident" into a "homicide" investigation, said police.

Investigators spent hours scouring the area for any clues to identify a suspect. They spent time checking the storm drain because it was raining heavily around the time of the incident.

"We didn't want to take the risk that maybe there was something that we didn't even know that could have been left behind that had been washed into the storm drain," said Whipple.

Ultimately police said it was a combination of witness statements, video surveillance and phone tips that led them to make three arrests in connection with the murder -- Beane of Shelburne, Dougherty of Winooski and Tyler of Colchester.

Whipple said it was Dougherty who pulled the trigger.

"We have been told and have indicators that he was the individual who did the shooting," said Whipple.

All three suspects will be arraigned Tuesday.

A fourth individual was arrested during this investigation as well for violation of parole. Police said the connection between 30-year-old Yosef Pitts and the suspects will be made clearer in court documents.